Home at Last
by CaptainOfTheRedPearl
Summary: When the dark shadow of revolution falls on Alicante, the Morgenstern family's youngest daughter, Clarissa, barely escapes the siege. She falls into a portal to escape and in the process, hits her head. The six year old ends up in a city, unconscious. The fall was enough strength to make Clarissa develop amnesia and forget her past. FULL (BETTER) SUMMARY INSIDE! Clace x
1. Chapter 1

I've always wanted to do an Anastasia (1997 Fox Animation) inspired fanfic but never decided which fandom I should base it in...but I've decided it would be TMI. Hope you enjoy, A/N at end of chapter x

**FULL SUMMARY (****_Read_****_, includes important background information_****):**

When the dark shadow of revolution falls on Alicante, the Morgenstern family's youngest daughter, Clarissa, barely escapes the siege. Clarissa and a young hero who helped her out of the battle attempt to go through a portal, but in the process, Clarissa loses her grip on the boy's hand, where she hits her head and goes unconscious. She made it through the portal as she fell, but it separated the two children.

Ten years later the Shadowhunter knows herself only by the name Clary due to amnesia caused by hitting her head that night. She still holds onto some memories, dark and light, but she doesn't know of the Shadow world, nor does she know her true identity as the last Morgenstern other than her father who's the cause of the downfall.

Clarissa has grown up in a Brooklyn orphanage, under the name of Clary. She has recollection of her past life remains, except for the necklace that held onto a ring with a simple star pattern and the letter M printed in the center.

August 2007 is where our story will begin.

* * *

**Chapter One: Parent-less**

* * *

Morning light made it's welcome into the crème yellow painted room, shining onto the not-so-sturdy bunk bed. The room is small and simple, the orphanage hasn't been making much money in the last couple of years, and so simple is the best they can get. A peak of red stood out of the white sheets on the top bunk, it tossed and turned every few minutes, the figure aching to pull down the blinds so she could sleep for longer, but the girl is not much of a morning person. Especially when her fellow-orphan roommate wakes up at the peak of dawn just to catch a glimpse of the sunrise floating over the Brooklyn Bridge.

"Clary, wake up!" A loud male voice entered the room, shaking the frame of the bunk bed repeatedly. Clary knew immediately whom the voice belonged to, her room mate, her best friend and one of the few orphans that she can talk to without getting death stares, Simon. Clary mumbled something that sounded along the lines of 'Shut up' and tossed over onto her stomach, digging her face into the pillow.

"Wake up!" He spoke again, this time closer to the small figure.

"What—" Her voice barely audible, "—Day is it?"  
"Sunday." Is all Simon said for Clary to shoot up, just missing the ceiling unlike all the other times where she bumped her head on the chalky ceiling. It's Sunday, the day where adults visit the orphanage in search of a child to take home and care for. Oh, how Clary longed for a home, or even to find her real parents.

After Clary cleaned herself up and got into her Sunday outfit, she ran into the hallway to meet Simon who wore a somewhat formal outfit, like all the other orphans.

"This is our day." Clary smoothed down her white peter pan collared blouse and black skirt.

"You say that every Sunday." Simon muttered but smiled. The two waltzed down the stairs, anxious to see the child-less couples waiting in the most-decorated room of the dull orphanage. As always, Clary expected there to be lots of adults. Instead, there were only two; a man and woman sitting on the leather couch holding each others hands while talking to Octavia, Liz and the other orphans who stood in a line next to Susanne, the head 'mother-figure' of the orphanage. Clary sighed at the disappointing view, but continued to walk down the stairs.

"…Ah, and these two young adults are Clary—" Susie gestured at the short red-head standing next to the taller teenager wearing glasses, "And Simon. Clary's fifteen turning sixteen tomorrow, and Simon is already sixteen. They are our oldest."

The couple's eyes scanned the two teenagers, the man not showing any particular interest, but the woman's eyes glowed a shade of…yellow? Clary tried not to stare, but she started to notice the pink tint through the blonde hair of the woman. Her facial structure was almost perfect, her skin clear of wrinkles, her eyes big and bulging but her pupils glowed a yellow color. Clary's eyebrows drew together for a brief moment but she shook it off, she always noticed weird things in random people. But, the strange thing was that the woman was staring right back at Clary, like she'd seen a ghost. The woman's eyes and body quickly turned back to Susie, acting like the stare-off never happened.

"Actually…we were hoping for someone a little younger than your children. I do apologize but we must leave." The woman shot up, pulling her husband out the door. The red door almost slammed shut if it weren't for the rug that got caught underneath.

"What was that all about?" Simon itched his forehead.

"Beats me." A blonde boy, Peter, rolled his eyes and returned to his room, followed by the three girls and other two boys. Simon, Clary and Susie were left in the lavender scented room.

"Another day where these children go without a family." Susie's voice is hoarse, she's put so much work into raising these children, it has weathered the poor woman to make her look older than what she is. She's as tall as clary, her hair ash blonde and her face like a cracked porcelain doll, wrinkled. Clary put her hand on Susie's shoulder, comforting her.

"They have family, we are all family."  
"Clary, you make yourself have no choice but to live here. Don't you want to go find your family? I remember the night I found you lying out in this very street, marks up and down your body. Your face covered in dirt and your forehead plastered with a wound. I took you in, I took you in Clary and cleaned you up, when you woke you said you couldn't remember who you are. Don't you want to go find yourself?" Susie's voice broke into a soft but broken tone. Simon had then excused himself and left the two alone.

"I'd be lying if I said no. But, it's not my time. I'm nothing but a little fifteen-year-old girl. When I graduate from high-school I'll go, not only because that is when you stop taking care of me, but I'll go because I must find my past. For now, we wait." Clary smiled.

"Could you do something for me?"

"Anything."  
"Go out tonight, with Simon, no curfew; you have money, do whatever you want. It is your birthday tomorrow."

"Are you sure you'll be alright with the other chil—"  
"I'll be fine, go on." Susanne smiled and dismissed Clary who skipped into the kitchen where she saw a glimpse of Simon.

"It's always so quiet these days." Isabelle huffed, plotting herself down on the Library's couch.

"That is because we are in a _Library_." Jace replied, studying the large collection of Demonology books that Hodge always leaves lying around.

"Shouldn't we be in Idris? Tomorrows—"

"I know what tomorrow is. I'm not sure if we are going this year, we didn't go last year."

"It's the ten year anniversary." Isabelle picked up an old magazine that she left on the coffee table a while back.

"Of what exactly? Tomorrow is the day where we are either celebrating Valentine's death or mourning those lost." Jace still had his hands brushing over the cursive writing in the book he held.

"You have a good point, Jace. Especially since it's the ten year anniversary since Clarissa—"  
"Alec, Clarissa's dead. We all know it." Isabelle whispered, aiming for Jace not to hear. But, he did. He clapped the book shut and placed it loudly on the counter.

"Jace, it's not your fault. It's Valentines—"

"If I was careful, she wouldn't have fallen into the portal—"

"You did all you could. You were, what, seven?"  
"Doesn't make a difference." Jace stalked out of the Library, he will never forget that day.

"Where _are_ we?" Simon asked, the sun had fallen and the moon had made itself present.

"We, my friend, are lost." Clary replied, stopping in her tracks. They were so lost, that the streets were almost empty, on the occasional jogger or homeless person went by. You could see the skyscrapers in the distance, but on the street the two teenagers were in, there's nothing but old warehouses and apartment buildings that seem to be abandoned.

"Let's just turn back—" And they did, but not from Simon's words, from the crash coming from behind them.

"What…was that?" Clary asked, her body tense and afraid. She pressed her back against Simon's front. She felt his warm and quick breath.

Another crash, this one more like a trashcan knocking over, it came from in-between two warehouses. A large, wolf-like dog ran out of the alleyway…and stopped. Looking straight at Clary. A brief moment, nothing happened. Clary could swear for a moment she stopped breathing, it defiantly wasn't a dog. Then, it ran away. As if the 'dog' didn't see the two.

"Let's get out of here." Simon walked in the opposite direction, his pace hard to follow. Clary, out of breath, caught up soon after.

"Demon sighting in Brooklyn." Isabelle launched into the dining room where Alec and Jace sat opposite each other in silence, eating Chinese food.

"We just sat down." Alec, rolling his eyes, stood up from his sitting position.

"A sighting is a sighting, get the weapons ready."

"Finally, civilization." Simon sighed; they had been walking for hours. They had finally found their way back to the main roads where people actually go this time at night.

"Right, where to now?" Clary asked with a huff, New York gets cold this time at night; thankfully Susanne made her bring a jacket.

"Your choice, it's your birthday in—" Simon checked his wrist-watch, "—Fifteen minutes."

"How about we just go to a diner, get some dinner and take a cab back home. I'm starving and even though tonight we have no curfew, I'm defiantly tired."

"Alright fine, you pick the restaurant." Simon smiled, tucking his slender hands into his red hoodie.

Isabelle, Jace and Alec patrolled the streets of Brooklyn, using the sensor and Isabelle's necklace to track down the demon.

"Let's go here.." Clary stopped, pointing to a diner with a big glowing sign spelling 'TAKI'S DINER'.

"Where?"

"Tah…keys?" She tried to pronounce the unfamiliar word.

"Where?"  
"Ugh, keep walking." Clary continued to walk down the street with Simon at her side.

"We're not far from Taki's. The sensor is picking up something a few blocks ahead." Alec sped up, Isabelle and Jace following, weapons at ready.

After a quick, and horrible, dinner from a road-side hot dog stand which apparently is open 24 hours, the two decided it was time to head home. Clary and Simon literally did nothing on their 'field-trip' to the night life of New York, nothing but walking around getting lost. But, hey, they had each other's bad jokes and company, which is better than feeding hungry restless orphans.

"Well, would you look at the time." Simon stopped in the middle of an empty street, "Happy Birthday, Little red." He smiled, embracing her in a hug. Clary said nothing; instead she smiled in his arms, his familiar arms. He is her brother, blood related or not, he is family. The two separated slightly, Simon looked into her green eyes that looked bluer with the full moon reflecting off the pair. He decided this was the time; he's going to tell her, tell her he loves—

Suddenly, he felt Clary tense.

"Did you see that?" Clary saw a dark shadow jump across the street, twice. She pulled further away from Simon, following the shadow. It disappeared every few seconds, then re-appeared.

It came closer and closer with every jump.

Clary turned around, Simon's gone.

"Simon!" She yelled, her heart speeding. She ran towards the street lamp, so she could be in light, where she though she'd be the safest, "Who's there?"

No reply, not even Simon. The shadow jumped once again across the street, still no sign of a face, it just looked like a mass of blackness.

Suddenly, a hand was around her neck, pushing her up against the cold brick wall of the empty office buildings exterior. She let out a yelp, almost a scream.

The hand on her neck belonged to a shadowed face, the street lamps light is too dull to illuminate the face, and it's defiantly a male, though.

The three stopped once they heard a name being called, it sounded like Simon, but it was hardly audible from such a distance. Alec held a hand gesture so they would all keep quiet, there was another yell. This one was harder to hear.

"Damsel in Distress." Jace whispered, then a scream was heard. No one replied, instead the three ran.

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, I needed to get this chapter off my chest. It hasn't been proof read (my bad) but I just wanted to get it up.

It will be edited in the near future though so don't worry.

Plus, this chapter jumps around a little considering no one 'knows' each other yet.

If you want more, review. I won't update if you don't review, x Leave suggestions and questions if necessary!

Lots of love, -E


	2. Chapter 2

**Quick Post-A/N: **Okay, so if you guys got the notification, I did upload like 900 words of this chapter already when I thought what I wrote was WAY longer than what it was. So...here is the full and somewhat edited version.

Also, 20 Reviews, 25 Followers & 14 Favourites from the first chapter, ALREADY? Oh my goodness, thank you so much!

Now for your gift in return... Drumroll please...

* * *

**Chapter 2: Not a Mundane**

* * *

Previously:

The three stopped once they heard a name being called, it sounded like Simon, but it was hardly audible from such a distance. Alec held a hand gesture so they would all keep quiet, there was another yell. This one was harder to hear.

"Damsel in Distress." Jace whispered, then a scream was heard. No one replied, instead the three ran.

* * *

The hand firmly pressed into Clary's neck. She couldn't breathe. Although, she heard the man's breathe. He isn't human, he can't be human, she thought. Her eyes glanced down at the hand at her neck, the arm had scales running up and down it, she was in too much shock to feel the long nails digging into her neck, only the light trickle of blood that ran down her collarbone.

She gagged and coughed, gasping for air that didn't seem to reach her lungs. Her eyesight became blurry as the figure's face came closer to hers. The light reached the scaled face, his eyes looked like a cat's, his nose…no nose…he looked like a lizard, that's the best way to describe it.

The hand loosened and dropped the small girl, she slid down the brick wall and threw her hands to her neck out of reflex, she gasped, and finally air reached her lungs.

"What—are—" Clary breathed, her voice sounding hoarse and barely audible, "—you?"

"Lets just say, I'm a friend of your fathers." His voice sounded as if a snake could speak, that's what it would sound like. The 's' in his words extended, adding to the lizard-like feature.

"My father—I don't have a father, I'm an orphan."  
"You think you can lie to me, Clarissa Adele Morgenstern. You have been hiding for ten years, finally we have found you."  
"Wh—what?" Clary was certain this is all a dream, it can't be real, it just can't.

"All Valentine wants is you alive, and the location of the Immortal Pearl."

"I don't—" Suddenly, a glimmer of gold sparked Clary's blurred eyesight. The thing hissed and backed away back into the darkness.

Clary felt unstable, her ears rang as she tried to see what was going on.

Other than the_ thing_ that attacked her, she saw three figures, two of them dark and the other was dark up until the figures hair, it reflected light, obvious that the figure was blonde. It wasn't silent, other than her ears ringing, she heard yelling and things breaking.

"_Abrariel._" Jace lit up his seraph blade as Alec and Isabelle fought with the demon. Then, he took his blade and swung it at the demon as it lunged forward after Isabelle whipped it, it cut the demons head clean off. They watched as the demon's body shriveled up and disappeared, as well as the head, leaving naught but a puff of steam.

Isabelle was the first to run up to Clary, she knew mundanes couldn't handle these types of attacks. The amount of times shadow hunters had to take mundane corpses and dispose of them are horrifyingly high. This mundane, though, seemed to be taking it pretty well.

Clary saw the 'thing' disappear, leaving the three figures staring at its previous position. Then, one of the figures walked, rather quickly, up to her. Clary's eyes gazed from the bottom up, starting from the feet. Human. Her blurred eyes scanned; obviously it was a female considering the heels. Up, the female wore a black leather ensemble, including various weapons strapped here to there.

Clary didn't speak, she couldn't. The figures spoke, but she couldn't hear them over the never ending buzz in her ears.

"—A normal mundane should be dead by now." Alec examined the girl who looked off, dazed.

"Are we just going to stand here and watch her die?" Isabelle asked.

"Judging by the holes punched in her neck from the _Coebara_, its poison has entered her system already. She's fighting it." Alec said to Jace as he pulled the collar of the girl's shirt down, presenting four piercing holes from the demons claws.

Jace was the closest to the girl; he knelt beside her, his gold hair glimmering with the street lamp. She looked somewhat familiar, he couldn't place why. His hand slid down her arm as he saw something that looked rather strange…

"She's not fighting it." Jace said, without turning his head. He just looked at the girl's wrist.

"Alright then Jace, explain to me how she's not dead." Isabelle broke in.

"I don't need to explain." The blonde boy lifted the girl's wrist into view of Alec and Isabelle.

Her wrist had a scar, not just any scar. It looked like a long gone, faded mark. A faded rune.

"She's not a mundane." Alec lifted his hand to his head, pushing back his ebony hair.

* * *

"Got a name?" Jace asked Hodge, who examined the girl who laid down on one of the many infirmary beds.  
"Not yet, we'll have to wait until she wakes. There is no sign of any runes on her, other than the old one on her wrist." Hodge replied.

"Ex-Shadowhunter maybe?" Alec inquired, they all stood in a line next to the figure enveloped in a thin sheet.  
"Not sure, she's a little young to retire. But, the rune, what's left of it…It's not one from the Book." Hodge began.

"What do you mean?" Isabelle asked.

"It's not from any one of our Rune books, nor is it a Demonic rune either." Hodge lifted the girl's hand, presenting her wrist.

* * *

Clary always had the same dreams, dreams full of magic, family…and darkness. This one in particular is the one she had most, it always felt so real. Like she's the little girl—

_Bright red lights, like fire, shot up at the night sky over the dark city. The city filled with medieval castles and houses, the narrow streets full of rushing people wearing black. There was one little girl, lost, she had red hair, that glowed with the red sky. She was no older than six, she was strong but at times like these, she was worried. Her mother got carried away in the sea of people after handing the girl a stick of some sort, a stele._

_"Mother!" She cried, watching her mothers red hair in amongst the crowd get swooped away. The demon towers aren't the only things lighting the city up, there was fire. Smoke filled the air as the cracking and crunching of buildings echoed the streets. The girl didn't realise that the building she stood next to, was weak and on fire. The house began to crumple down and she didn't notice it until a pair of hands grabbed her and pushed her away. She fell onto the floor from the force of the push that saved her life; she looked at the boy with wide green eyes._

_The boy stood in front of the girl, he wore black, his skin was pale and his hair the same. He looked no older than seven; he pulled Clary up without trying. She was a small girl, short too._

_"We need to get out of here, the Wards are down." The boy spoke firmly, pulling the girl in the opposite direction that the swarms of people were headed. He ducked through several alleyways and streets, it was like a maze, dead ends from fallen buildings, fire lighting up pathways. He finally found a clear path and pulled the girl through, they stopped running once they weren't surrounded by smoke and debris._

_They were on a hill, looking down at the burning city. Both out of breath, the girl broke into a sob. She had lost her mother; she can't promise herself that her mother will be alright. Her father, on the other hand, was the cause of all this. _

_"He's going to find me, he'll find my mother. Then, he'll find me." The girl tried to hold back her tears._

_The boy, he didn't know what to say. He, too, had family back in the city, his adopted family._

_The girl stopped crying, her mind zapped blank and she saw a pattern, a rune. It was delicate looking, the ways the lines curled around each other. She knew she had a gift, she never actually applied a proper rune before, she knew that this was no ordinary rune. The girl knew what it was for, so she held the stele firmly and pressed in on the skin of her wrist._

_The boy didn't realise that she was drawing a rune, he just stared at the city, it looked so small from here. This is where he used to sit when he was sad, up on this very hill looking at his home, it looks so small. _

_"We need to get out of here, now. He will come looking for you." The boy said, still facing the city._

_"Where will we go?" She asked, finished with the rune. Not speaking of it's powers, she didn't think it was necessary to tell him what she did._

_"Draw a portal, I know you can. We'll go to a Mundane city, far from here. New York maybe, they have an institute. It'll be safe there until Valentine stops searching. It's not you he wants anyway, all Shadowhunters know what he's looking for. You have it, right?"_

_"The pearl? I do. My mother, she gave it to me, she put it inside this," the girl reached for the chain around her neck where a ring sat, but the ring is no ordinary ring. It was like a locket, with a click it opened and a very small red pearl shined inside the tiny compartment. The girl heard the boy gasp a little, he had obviously never seen the Immortal Pearl before._

_"What's your name?" The girl asked, she had never actually known this boys name. Often she saw him staring at her, while group training, they've talked once or twice, but she never caught his name._

"Jonathan, Jonathan Christopher Her—Lightwood."

_The girl didn't respond, she just nodded and began to draw a portal like she had done many times before._

_It glowed blue, illuminating a patch of green grass. The portal stood tall, it lighting the girl's red hair and tinting it blue._

_"Hold my hand." The boy said, taking her hand. They began to walk towards the portal which stood metres away from them, past a series of rocks, one of the rocks glowed silver from the Portal rune—_

_Suddenly, an arrow shot past the boys face and into the woodland. The girl let out a slight gasp, and spun around. There stood a slender figure, his hair light and face pale, it was her father._

_"Hello, Sweetheart. So nice to see you again, your mommy had been very naughty keeping you from me." The slender figure approached the two children, talking to the girl. The children slowly retreated, stepping backwards off the grass and onto the rock filled terrain. _

_"Where do you plan on going, my lovely daughter?"_

_The girl didn't reply, it was the boy who dared to speak, still holding her hand, "Away from you. You're not going to win, not this time Valentine. Your dying, every shadowhunter knows it, you want to become immortal, but instead your rotting." _

_"Ah, a Herondale. Only one with Herondale blood would dare to speak to me like that, you know, your father had that same look when he was dying."_

_The girl looked at the boy, she didn't know anything of his past, nor did she know that it's her father that killed the seven-year-old boys parents. She saw the look in his face, he looked strong for his age, tough even, but behind his amber eyes she saw a fragile little boy, broken._

_"Now, my dear, if you could be so kind to tell me the location of the Pearl, I won't harm you or this little friend of yours." The slender figure looked into the small girls eyes, not with love, with some kind of masked fury._

_"Never, you are not my father—" The girl tripped while walking backwards, her hand slipped out of the boys hand as she fell into the whirl pool of a portal, hitting her head on a boulder-size rock on the way. _

Clary woke up, gasping. That dream is a dream she dreamt constantly, her dreams stayed with her, but usually she only remembers fragments. All the dreams are of the same little girl, red hair, green eyes and pale skin, like Clary.

Clary didn't lift her head, her neck stung as she breathed. Her eyes gazed, at a blue sky? The sky had stars, baby angels, and clouds carrying four items, a sword, a mirror, a cup and a cushion with a tiny red sphere on top. Where am I? She asked herself.

Carefully, lifting her body, she pressed against the headboard of an uncomfortable bed. She was in an infirmary.

"You're awake." A male voice spoke, her dizzy eyes drifted to the source of the voice, she scanned the owner. Tall, blonde hair, chiselled face, golden eyes, wearing all black with tattoo-like marks up and down his arms.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Thank you!**

Oh my goodness, your love and kindness in response to the first chapter was so unexpected! I'm so so glad you all love it..  
20 reviews from the first chapter?! My goodness gracious, that is way more than I was expecting.

Starting from Chapter 3 I'll be doing shoutouts for those lovely reviewers and the reviewers who don't have FanFicNet accounts, so I'll be getting back to each and every one of you in thankyou for your support x

Now, as always, if I get reviews on this chapter, I'll continue. It's my payment and costs you nothing, so yeah. :)

_Lots and lots of love, _

-E

xx


	3. Chapter 3

**SHOUTOUTS (**I couldn't choose out of the many that reviewed to give shoutouts to, so I did eenie-meenie-minie-mo haha!**) : **

**Rachel (Guest): **Hello lovely! Thank you so much for you sweet review, I'm so glad you like my story so far and I hope you enjoy what there is to come x  
**heikaikki****: **Hello! Thank you for the lovely review! Yes, no need to worry, longer chapters will come when the story gets more intense in the next couple of chapters is when it will start getting long! Lots of love x  
**eastenders shadowhunter****: **Thankyou! Lots of love x

Thankyou so much to whoever reviewed, if you weren't on Guest, your personal reply will be sent shortly x

A/N at end of chapter, ENJOY!

* * *

**Chapter Three: She's alive**

* * *

Jocelyn sat at the table, her unruly red hair messily tucked into a bun at the top of her head. The woman wore no makeup, this day was a day she did nothing but think about the day she lost her daughter. There was gossip, that Clarissa could still be alive. There had been sightings in England, LA and even New York. Luke, his head in his hands, tangled in his unruly hair.

Suddenly, a flash of red woke the two from their daydreams, a fire message.

Luke unfolded the warm piece of paper, in cursive writing it formally wrote:

_'Jocelyn Fairchild & Lucian Graymark, your presence is needed at the Council meeting at the Gard in 15 minutes. Yours, Jia Penhallow, Consul.'_

* * *

"You must have hit your head hard, Shadowhunter. A recovery usually doesn't take this long." The female stood next to the blonde boy. The blonde boy looked so familiar to her.

"Shadowhunter? What is that, some kind of New York backstreet gang name for its members? If so, I want no part in it."

"You're funny." The blonde boy said, unamused. Another boy, black hair, appeared from the large doorway, this is the first time Clary saw the three properly. She doesn't even know their names, why is she talking to them?

"What's your name? We couldn't track your name in the records while you were asleep, for some reason it didn't work." The dark haired boy spoke.

"Records? I need to get out of here,-" Clary began to rush out of the bed, she wore the same clothes as the night before, a striped thin t-shirt and skinny jeans, though her purple jacket seemed to be missing.

"Not so fast, you're a Shadowhunter in New York and we don't have you in the records. Plus, we did save your life." The blonde haired boy spoke in a tone that can't be described.

"I don't know you people, I don't know who you think I am, but I need to leave." Clary tied her shoes quickly, and headed for the large doorway. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her arm. She spun quickly; her green eyes met a golden pair. For a brief moment, she found those eyes to be familiar, her brows furrowed and she tugged her arm free from the blonde haired boys grip. She noted that the three strangers all wore white clothing with golden patterns swirling over the torso of the three.

"I'm Jace, this is Isabelle—" Jace gestured to Isabelle who's lips tugged a forced smile, then Jace moved his hand toward the dark haired boy, "—And this is Alec."

"_Ciao, strangers._" Clary hissed and ran for the door.

The three stood staring after the girl, they never got her name. At the back of Jace's mind spoke saying that she looked familiar, like he knew her.

* * *

A roar of traffic woke the sleeping boy. His head rested awkwardly on a broken crate. His glasses were missing off his face, his vision was slurred and he groaned as he felt his neck click from the awful position. He spread out his arm that wasn't numb and felt around for his glasses, he found them next to his bent knee and placed them over his eyes.

When his eyesight adjusted, he realised he had been sleeping in an alleyway. What had happened—

_Clary._ The last thing he remembered was her spotting something, then screaming his name before his world faded to darkness. After that, he remembered nothing.

* * *

Clary puzzled through the busy streets of Brooklyn, finding her way to the orphanage. All she could think about was the thing that attacked her, and what happened to Simon. She was trying not to cry; she didn't know why but her eyes threatened to do so.

Without realising how fast she was walking, she stormed into the Orphanage door. The familiar smell of lavender rushed through Clary's system as her eyes went straight to the worried Susanne.

"Oh my _goodness,_ Clary," Susie enveloped Clary in a protective hug.

"Simon, is he here?" Clary asked, her voice shook.

"Yes, yes he told me everything. He's upstairs, taking a shower, he woke up this morning in the streets."

"Good, good, he's fine." Clary sighed, and the two pull away from each other.

"You're alright?" Susie had her weathered hands on Clary's shoulders.

"I—I'm fine. I really am."

"What happened?"

"Nothing, I had another episode, that's all. Simon—" Clary lied, "Simon passed out because…the food. We ate roadside food and he must've had an allergic reaction or something, but I was having and episode…"

"I see, alright you clean yourself up then take your medication. I've been worried sick when I went into your room this morning and neither of you were there."

Clary said she had an episode, she had been having those lately. Every now and then her mind would go blank for a second, and she'd see something, it changed every time. The visions made her do things, like run away or draw strange patterns or even hurt herself. She'd have nightmares as well, nightmares of fire, a man with ice white hair killing people she didn't know, or of a little boy and a little girl running endlessly through a burning city.

* * *

After the strange exit of the girl, the three received a fire message from the Gard at Alicante.

'Portals open tomorrow at 9am, please send a message before you leave.

Yours,

Robert Lightwood

Inquisitor'

"Why is our father so formal? We are his children." Isabelle played with the peelings of an orange on the kitchen bench.

"That's his job, Isabelle." Alec sat on the dining table with a book open, across from Jace who sat in silence with his arms folded, he looked as if he were in deep though. Suddenly, an orange peel flew across the room hitting Jace's cheek. He woke up from his daze and threw daggers with his eyes at Isabelle.

"What was that for?"

"You haven't spoken since that girl left, what's up?" Alec shut his book and looked at Jace with his ice blue eyes.

"She just looked so familiar…" He trailed off.

"Probably a victim of a one night stand that you forgot about." Isabelle scoffed, discarding the fruit peels into the overflowing trashcan.

"Why did they postpone the Memorial day?" Jace didn't reply to Isabelle, he tried to change the subject.

"There's something going on, something they're not telling us."

* * *

Simon sat patiently on the bottom bunk of his and Clary's shared bunk bed. He had finished his cold shower and gotten dressed into a grey tee and a pair of old jeans. Abruptly Clary walked in with a wet hair and her clothing somewhat similar to Simon's, a plain tee and cuffed skinny jeans. Her red hair was tossed into a bun at the top of her hair and Simon noted that her eyes were surrounded by dark circles. She looked sick, like she may have a fever. But, none of that mattered. She's safe, she got home.

"Clary." He spoke her name only to walk up to her and throw his arms around her.

"Simon, I'm so glad you're fine."

"Me?" Simon pulled away, "What about you? Last time I saw you, you were—"

"I know. Look, Simon, something happened last night that I can't really explain."

"I'm all ears."

"I was attacked," Clary's voice a hoarse whisper, Simon was taken aback, "It's okay, I'm fine. But, what attacked me…wasn't human. Wasn't an animal either, actually I don't really know what it was. It could talk, it called me Clarissa. Not Clary, Clarissa. It said something about my father. Simon, my father.—"

"Clary, are you sure this wasn't an episode? I mean—"

"Simon, it was real. I woke up this morning in an infirmary; people saved me, complete strangers. They said I was a Hunter of Shadows or something totally bazaar. I got out of there as fast as I could and came straight here."

Clary didn't realise she began to cry, why? She didn't know. She hardly cried, she was a strong girl, not even her horrid visions made her react like this. A pair of warm masculine arms curled around her and she buried her face into her best friend's familiar chest.

"It's okay," He whispered, his hands tracing circles in her back, "I know I said it already but, you're sixteen today."

* * *

The big city of Idris was crowded in Shadowhunters wearing white rather than their usual black attire. This day was usually a day of silence, a day of mourning. It's Memorial Day for those lives that were lost in the Attack of Darkness and Light, as many called it, but the Clave had other ideas rather than celebrating the lost souls.

"Valentine can't be alive. It's just not possible." Luke said, holding tightly onto Jocelyn's hand as they talked to Jia, the Consul.

"No one killed him." Jia said in a firm tone.

"She's right. But, if he's back that means…" Jocelyn began, her voice showing signs of despair.

"Your daughter is alive."

"But, all these years…we haven't been able to track her." Luke said rather than Jocelyn.

"We think that she created a rune, with her ability, that could make it so she couldn't be tracked. So that Valentine could never have found her."

"But, why now?"

"Maybe, the rune is loosing it's power. It has been ten years."

"So, we could find her now?" Jocelyn's eyes opened up, she could be reunited with her daughter, whom she loved so dearly.

"It would be too dangerous. If Valentine knows she's alive, he'll make sure we know, so we could do the dirty work for him."

"But, my daughter—"

"She's been safe all these years." Luke reassured Jocelyn.

"How could she spend ten years knowing that her father is out to get her? She's only a little girl, 16 today."

"Maybe, she doesn't remember." A voice echoed the room from the doorway, Magnus Bane, Warlock.

* * *

**A/N:** So this chapter is _ALL OVER THE PLACE_. Literally. We jump from Jocelyn and Luke, to Clary and Jace, to Clary and Simon, to Jace and the Lightwood crew, and I AM SORRY!  
But this is leading up to the real beginning of our story which will come in an **EXTRA** long chapter which is coming _very_ soon.

For the second time, I apologise for the random changes throughout this chapter, it's really important that this chapter is in the story. For what reason? I'm not even sure if I know.

Anyways, I really do hope you've enjoyed this story so far even though I'm supplying not-so interesting chapters. I do assure you two things:

-There is A LOT of Clace coming up in the near future.

-And one hint: Simon's journey does NOT end once Clary finds out her true identity...Also Simon does experience some love and some hurt [Hint hint, think City of Bones but then again think about the other books]

Hahah, alright if you haven't noticed already I'm extremely awake from overdose on caffeine. Exams REALLY took my energy out of me, I hope you all did/will do well on your exams, I live in Australia (Which is why I may use funny language in my story, it's just the Australian way of saying things) and so I don't have Summer holidays unlike you lucky people in the Northern Hemisphere!

In conclusion, please do review and tell me your thoughts, if you have any questions, theories or suggestions please do leave it in a review but make sure you leave your name or if you have a FanFic account please log in, so I could respond to you in some way or another. If you can't review or message me, you can find me on any social networking sites which are linked on my profile (I think...), so...yeah.

AND: Thank you SO much for your love and support! 41 Followers, 35 Reviews in three chapters already? Ah!

**Lots of love, **

Emily.

xxx


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** If you don't follow my instagram or have me on facebook you wouldn't know that I've been in lots of unexplainable pain for the last month or so (I've still uploaded chapters, though) and it's worsened over the past couple of days, I've been to the hospital a number of times, and have had an uncountable number of needles sucking out my blood and so on so fourth, and still no answer as to what is wrong with me. So, yeah that's why this chapter is delayed and I am in no condition to write anymore of this post-chapter-A/N due to my desperate need of rest, so no shoutouts but I just want to thank you reviews and those who have favourited and followed. I love you all and I hope you enjoy where this is going. Thank you. (Proper and more important AN at end of chapter.) By the way, there are mistakes in this chapter, but I am in no condition to re-read for the time being, sorry.

**Chapter 4: Questions**

"Another fire message just came." Alec spoke softly, handing Jace the opened letter, "It's from Magnus Bane, the Warlock. He's coming here to speak with you." Alec spoke while Jace read the single statement and signature on the golden paper.

"Why? Is it urgent?" Isabelle asked, she got up from one of the libraries leather couches.

"Apparently so." Jace said, pulling his golden hair back out of his face.

Before Alec could reply, a flash of blue spat through the room as a figure stood in front of one of the large bookshelves.

"Jonathan Christopher Herondale, it's been a while." Magnus Bane's voice echoed through the library with a fierce tone to it.

* * *

"…And for the last ten years, I've had to put up with your lousy jokes, your sleep talking—"

"Says the one who snores their head off every night." Clary spun her eyes round, sarcasm rolling off her tongue. They were walking on a bridge in a small park near the orphanage; they stopped in the center of it, leaning against the railing, staring into their reflections in the murky water below.

"Hey, not fair. I blame genetics, maybe my birth parents were serious snorers, you never know. Oh, and by the way, Susanne wants us to pick up, and I quote, 'Bread, milk—" Simon began, Clary cut him off.

"—Butter, sugar, eggs, all the necessities in a household of children who cannot equally share food.'"

"How is it you don't have a clue as to who you were before you came to the orphanage but you can remember all that?"

"I do have a clue," Clary pulled out the chain she always wore which held onto a ring, the only clue she has to her past, a fairly thick ring with the letter 'M' engraved on a navy blue plate, accompanied by two stars on either side.

"Little Miss Clary, it's time to take your place in life." Simon looked at his reflection, then to Clary's.

"My place is right here." She said firmly, staring at her red hair which looked significantly darker in the reflection, it was only 2 in the afternoon yet the sun refused to come out.

"What do you see?" Simon asked, slightly moving closer to Clary.

"I see a skinny little nobody with no past, and no future." She mumbled, looking away from the water.

"I see a short, yet pretty young lady who I'm about to take to Java Jones because this certain red-head looks like she's about to fall asleep." _And, she doesn't get that I really do think she is beautiful, inside and out._

Clary sighed, "Oh god, please do."

* * *

"I don't get why you're asking Jace about Clarissa, you know it's a bad day, for all of us." Alec spoke directly to Magnus, Jace sat slumped on a couch with his arms crossed, clearly not in the mood.

"It's just one simple question." The warlock stated.

"A simple question that I have been asked about fifty times. You were there in the Gard when I held the Mortal Sword, you heard everything I know." Jace finally faced the warlock, directing his words to the tall glittering figure.

"But, Jonathan, the Inquisitor did not ask for _all_ the details." Magnus replied, calmly brushing down his dark purple pants as he sat down on a couch opposite to Jace.

* * *

"God, Clary I'm so sorry, I totally spaced out about the job interview and—"

"Don't worry about it, you have like 5 minutes to get there, so go. I'll find my way back home." Clary smiled at Simon and cupped her hands around the warm mug of coffee. They sat in Java Jones for hours, contemplating the meaning of life and possible scenarios in which resulting in an apocalypse, typical.

"You sure?" Simon asked, his glasses covered by his fast-growing brown hair, his dark eyes only just peaking through.

"Yes, Simon. Go."

"Alright, see you later, Clary." In the space of a few seconds, Simon was out the door speeding down the street. Clary couldn't help but chuckle at her absent-minded best friend.

* * *

"As I've stated multiple times, Clarissa and I were aiming for the New York Institute, we were about to go through the portal when Valentine appeared and she began to walk backwards. Then…" Jace trailed off, not realizing the emotions he gathered up while speaking of Clarissa, he straightened up his posture and coughed out a more serious tone, "She fell, letting go of my hand, I think she hit her head—"  
"That's all I needed." Magnus said, bowing his head.

"Good, because I'm getting out of here." Jace shot up out of the leather couch, dismissing himself before he left the institute and let his feet guide him.

* * *

Clary walked slowly, her head looking down at a 'Battle of the Bands' flier that was handed to her by a rather cute boy in Java Jones. Not noticing her surroundings, she bumped into something tall, something bulky.

"Better watch where you're going—What is that smell?" The voice was low and musky, Clary looked up and saw that the man that she bumped into her was dressed in old clothing, his eyes looked dog-like. "The smell of angel offspring, do my senses deceive me or is this a Shadowhunter?"

"I'm sorry, sir, for bumping into you." Clary's voice shook as she tried to get passed the large man, but the man pushed Clary into the alleyway they previously stood next to, she hit the floor with such force it made her dizzy, she couldn't speak, it knocked the voice out of her.

"I'm sure you already know who I am. A little girl like you, a Shadowhunter, shouldn't be out alone with no protection or weapons, aye?"

Clary gathered up her voice, "I don't know who you are, I don't know what a shadow hunter is."

At that, the large man laughed and approached the small sloping figure on the ground.

Clary sat there, completely defenseless and the man brushed his fingers against her face. His fingernails looked like claws, his hands were covered in hair, fur maybe. Clary's breath shook, her mind spun.

"I'll—I'll call the police." Clary pushed back, sliding further away from the man and her back hit the cold brick wall as she drew out her phone.

The man was too fast; he kicked her phone out of her hands.

"I wonder what the clave would you if they find a dead Shadowhunter girl in the streets of Brooklyn, especially with the rumors about Valentine." The man pulled his lips back, exposing wolf-like teeth. Clary closed her eyes; there was nothing else she could do. She was preparing for death, as the man released a dog-like growl and she felt a burning sensation spread across her face.

* * *

Jace found himself in Brooklyn, he didn't know how, but he didn't care. All he thought of was Clarissa, if she was still alive, would they be friends? They never talked, Jace was always nervous around that girl, he always wanted to talk to her but never knew how, he was only seven when he rescued her from the burning city of Idris, that was one of the only times he actually spoke to her. It was strange, how he wasn't necessarily her good friend, yet he took the loss worse than every other death he had encountered, not counting his parents death. He grumbled to himself, cursing as he turned the corner and entered another street. He hated this feeling, this feeling of regret and loss; he didn't like feeling of vulnerability, being insecure.

Jace stopped in his tracks once he noticed something out of the ordinary in the somewhat empty street. A redheaded girl bump into a large man, Jace knew immediately who this man was. Damon Kitara, Werewolf gone rogue, wanted for several accounts of murder, both Shadowhunter and Mundane victims.

Jace began to run once he saw what happened next, Damon threw the girl into the nearby alleyway, and pounced on her, still in human form.

Jace was a fast runner, not to mention the runes he used to achieve most of the speed but marked up or not, if he needed to get somewhere, he got there. Jace stood in the opening of the alleyway, briefly examining the scene. The redheaded girl was the same girl he and his siblings picked up yesterday. Damon said something, inaudible to Jace, the Lycanthrope was about to pounce on the girl when Jace threw himself at the creature and pulled it back, Damon only managing to scratch the girls face. The girl let out a yelp as she threw her hands to her face, eyes still closed.

Clary's heart raced as she opened her eyes to see the blonde boy from this morning, Jace was his name, throw a dagger at the wolf-man and stand back, watching the attacker cry for mercy before he stopped completely and his face fell to the floor.

Clary, slowly yet shakily, climbed up from her sitting position, her back still plastered to the wall. She watched Jace pull out his phone, text somebody in lightening fast speed, and then he looked straight at Clary.

He looked different from when she saw him that morning, his eyes looked less tense then; he looked like he had been crying. Clary found Jace to be strangely attractive, and he looked more familiar now. The boy approached her, not saying a word, he put his phone back into his pocket and took out his stele, Clary not knowing what it is.  
"This might hurt, only a little, though." His voice sounded like a forced caress, soft but rock solid, hard to describe yet so simple. He had a British accent, she noted, Clary always thought that herself had a slight bit of a English accent.

"Who…are you?" Her brows furrowed as the object he held to her arm lit up slightly as it touched her skin, she hissed as it stung slightly, at the same time it felt somewhat pleasurable, the strange pain was comforting in a way, familiar also.

"I believe we've met already, Miss Runaway."

"Yes, I know. But, really, what are you? Why do I keep getting attacked and its you who seems to save me?" She dismissed the pain on her arm as she looked into the boys amber eyes.

"I'm a Shadowhunter, like yourself. And, as for the second question, I'm honestly not quite sure," Jace completed the iratze and put the stele back into his jean pocket.

"What is it?" She asked, looking at her left forearm, where a swirling pattern took its place with a ring of tense skin surrounded it.

"At first I thought you were joking, pretending to be a Shadowhunter in the Mundane world. But, I'm starting to believe that you are in fact totally oblivious to what you truly are."

"Okay, this, this is getting to a point where I think I'm loosing my head." Clary pushed away from Jace and began to walk out of the alleyway, but stopped once she realized what he had hinted, that he might know of her past. She turned around, to face the boy who looked almost bored to be there.

"Not running away this time?" Jace sarcastically queried.

"I have some questions." Clary replied.

"I, too, have some questions, starting off with your name; what is it?"

* * *

**A/N:** So, I've been kinda questioning the direction in this chapter, I don't know if you will like it or not…But, yeah that's that.

**QUICK POLL QUESTION/S THAT I REALLY NEED YOU TO ANSWER:**

Would you like Hodge to know immediately who Clary really is but then be on Valentine's side like in TMI? Or would you like Jace to know first?

**(I worded those questions carefully so it wouldn't giveaway the plot, so don't start with your conspiracy theories…yet.)**

_Please, please Review! I've been feeling not quite up to par lately (If you read the start of this chapter you would know why) and so I need some encouragement to actually do things. I love you all, thankyou so much for everything._

-E


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